Winegrowers

Tasty, Terroir-Focused Wines From Alsace’s Domaine Schoffit

Alsace white wine fans take note.  Just in time for holiday celebrations and dinners, father and son winegrowers Bernard and Alexandre Schoffit of Colmar offer three terrific wines with contrasting styles. All are ready for immediate enjoyment and available through Weygandt Wines in Washington, D.C. Pennsylvania’s PLCB Premium Collection stores also offer two of the […]

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Distinctive Crozes-Hermitage Reds With Quality, Personality and Value

Each year with France’s Northern Rhône red wines, critics and consumers alike heap accolades on the marvelous selections from Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage. Reds from the nearby appellation of Crozes-Hermitage which also rely on Syrah grapes go largely unheralded. So the wines often languish on retail shelves even with prices a third or less of their

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Cellar Tasting: The Tale of the Ethereal 1996 Domaine Dujac Échezeaux and Whole Cluster Fermentation

At a recent “blind” tasting of six wines from Vosne-Romanée and Flagey-Échezeaux, a marvelous moment occurred for everybody in our little luncheon group. All of us were stopped in our tracks with emotion over the profound beauty and sheer pleasure of one of the wines, the 1996 Domaine Dujac Échezeaux.

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Jean-Claude Rateau: Burgundy’s Biodynamic Pioneer Quietly Delivers Exhilarating, Delicious Wines

Eighteenth century French philosopher Voltaire suggested “Il faut cultiver notre jardin”—“We must cultivate our garden”—even in the face of life’s complications and chaos. Burgundy winegrower Jean-Claude Rateau takes Voltaire’s advice to heart. Since graduating from Beaune’s Lycée Viticole in the late 1970’s, he has carefully cultivated his vineyards like a garden using organic and biodynamic

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Alsace Winegrowers’ Palpable Passion for World Class Pinot Noirs

Burgundy may be Pinot Noir’s spiritual home, but Alsace winegrowers’ palpable passion for Pinot Noir cannot be ignored. Leading winegrowers such as André Ostertag, Christian Beyer, Jean-Paul and Marie Zusslin, Maxime Barmès and Rémy Gresser embody the renewed dedication to producing high quality, delicious Pinot Noir wines worthy of international attention. Each grower offers an

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La Dernière Goutte Provides Ingenious French Wine and Food Moments in Paris

Nearly twenty years ago, American-born Juan Sanchez founded his Paris wine shop La Dernière Goutte, a French name meaning “the last drop.” It proved ironic, indeed. Today this cozy establishment at 6 rue Bourbon-le-château in the Left Bank neighborhood of St-Germain-des-Prés continues pouring French wines and hosting popular introductory classes.

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Charles Lachaux: A Portrait of the Winegrower as a Young Man

In the early 2000’s, winegrower Pascal Lachaux of Domaine Robert Arnoux in Burgundy readily called on his teen-age son, Charles, to translate business conversations with English-speaking importers and journalists. The poised and engaging young man communicated confidently. His intelligence and the obvious bond of trust, mutual respect and collaboration between father and son made telling

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Enduring Beauty Shines in Pedroncelli “Mother Clone” Zinfandel From Dry Creek Valley

Zinfandel may have European origins, but no place produces better quality Zinfandel than Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley on the California North Coast. Consider the 2014 Pedroncelli Winery, “Mother Clone” Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, a modestly priced wine at around $16 per bottle nationally.

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